Putnam County, West Virginia
Putnam County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The name is in honor of Israel Putnam, who was a hero in the French and Indian War and a general in the American Revolutionary War. As of 2000, the population was 51,589. Its county seat is Winfield6. Putnam County is part of the Charleston WV metropolitan area, with a 2004 Census population estimate of 307,763 people. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 908 km² (350 sq mi). 897 km² (346 sq mi) of it is land and 11 km² (4 sq mi) of it (1.19%) is water. Since the county is roughly equidistant between Charleston and Huntington, the state's two largest cities, along Interstate 64, the area has undergone a period of rapid suburbanization. Areas that were once farms or wooded backcountry are now being developed into subdivisions. In fact, the area is now the second-fastest growing region of West Virginia, following the sections of the Eastern Panhandle that are near Washington. Controversial lottery winner Jack Whittaker lives in Putnam County; he won the multi-state Powerball jackpot on December 25, 2002. Major Highways Adjacent Counties *Mason County (north) *Jackson County (northeast) *Kanawha County (east) *Lincoln County (south) *Cabell County (west) Demographics As of the census² of 2000, there were 51,589 people, 20,028 households, and 15,281 families residing in the county. The population density was 58/km² (149/sq mi). There were 21,621 housing units at an average density of 24/km² (62/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 97.97% White, 0.56% Black or African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.58% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.13% from other races, and 0.59% from two or more races. 0.51% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 20,028 households out of which 35.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.20% were married couples living together, 8.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.70% were non-families. 20.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 2.96. In the county, the population was spread out with 25.00% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 30.40% from 25 to 44, 25.50% from 45 to 64, and 11.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.50 males. The median income for a household in the county was $41,892, and the median income for a family was $48,674. Males had a median income of $40,782 versus $23,532 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,471. About 7.10% of families and 9.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.30% of those under age 18 and 7.60% of those age 65 or over. Cities and towns Incorporated cities and towns Unincorporated communities External links *Official website for Putnam County Category:Putnam County, West Virginia Category:Counties of West Virginia Category:Established in 1848